


Two Men, One Dog, and a Con

by introspecticskeptic



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-27 19:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12088131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/introspecticskeptic/pseuds/introspecticskeptic
Summary: Yo, shout out to the incomparable Shotce (https://shotce.tumblr.com/) for their lovely art work (check out that dog!  That dog!!!) and helping me complete my first ever MEBB!  Love you!! <3





	1. A Con

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, shout out to the incomparable Shotce (https://shotce.tumblr.com/) for their lovely art work (check out that dog! That dog!!!) and helping me complete my first ever MEBB! Love you!! <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John Shepard just wants one thing, and one thing only. Peace and quiet. Its why he moved to the middle of the suburbs away from the city even. But when Nexus the puppy come barreling into his life - not to mention his cute owner - Shepard's life is about to get a lot noisier!

The dog was cute enough, Shepard supposed.  It was a German Shepard puppy that had fooled even Garrus with its whole floppy-eared, doofy head-tilt, and exuberance thing; but not Shepard though.  Trouble was the flower-bed ruining monstrosity’s name and Shepard would not be fooled by the cute yips the damn thing gave every now and then.

“You’re not even using it, why are you pissed?”  Garrus asked as John angrily shoved on his boots while trying to defend the laces from the demon.

“The point–” John ripped the laces away from the gaping maw and quickly tied them– “is that this thing ruined my bed!”  John threw on his jacket and scooped the dog up under his arm, ignoring the adorable yelp of surprised followed by how the dog cuddled into his side.  The dog had to go.  Now.

“Actually the flower beds are mine, Shep,” Garrus reminded him from behind the newspaper.  “You rent from me, remember?”

Shepard grumbled something under his breath and marched out the door, forgetting to grab his cane in his frustration, studiously ignoring the beautiful day and bright blue sky. 

He had moved out of the city for peace and quiet, something this dog – which had curled adorably into the crook of Shepard’s arm – was ruining.  Shepard grumbled at the dog and the new Ryder family as he passed by them; they were a nice enough family – if a bit stiff.

Shepard’s destination lay at the end of the street – the perfectly manicured lawn and stunning flower beds of the K. Alenko and A. Williams house.  They were a devastatingly powerful power couple that dominated the HOA’s annual gardening competition with their exotic and colorful displays of their green thumbs.  Shepard hated them.

He pounded on the door, waking the dog who let out a happy bark.  “Shut it, demon,” Shepard hissed out of the corner of his mouth.  The dog cocked his head but stayed quiet as Shepard pounded on the door again.

The door opened to a young boy yawning and rubbing his dark brown eyes as he slowly woke up.  “Hello?”  He looked up, saw the dog in Shepard’s arm, and his eyes lit up.  “Oh!  You found Nexus!”  The door opened the rest of the way as the dog squirmed out of Shepard’s arm and into the boy’s.  “Uncle K!  He found Nexus!”  He called back into the house excitedly.

“Invite whoever it was in, I’ll be right there!”  A man’s voice called out from somewhere within the house. 

Shepard eyes widened as he realized his stroke of luck. Williams was the face of the operation; always presenting the garden and accepting the award but she admitted that it was Alenko who had the magic touch with the plants. And now a man’s voice was telling him to be let into the house?  

Shepard moved past the distracted child and dog and stepped into an immaculately decorated living room, complete with kitschy knickknacks and hand-made looking throws across the couches in coordinating colors.  Shepard hated it.

“Be right there!”  Shepard glanced at the direction of the voice but continued his evaluation of the magazine-ready room.

“Hey there.”  Shepard started and turned to see the just-showered and brilliantly smiling owner of the voice extending a hand out to shake.  Shepard took it and shook it warmly, studiously ignoring the jolt of something that raced up his arm.  “Thanks for finding Nexus!  Appreciate it!”

Shepard smiled (or maybe grimaced?) and belatedly remembered to stop shaking the man’s – presumably K. Alenko’s – hand.  “It was no problem!  Found the bugger digging in my flowerbeds and managed to snag him before he got away!”  He waited for the triumphant smirk that revealed the stranger’s plot to sabotage Shepard’s chances of winning but instead the man seemed distressed.

“He dug up your beds?  I’m so sorry!”  K. Alenko’s eyes wrinkled in the most authentic-looking sad face ever and he ran his hand through his hair, somehow making the disheveled look even more disheveled and somehow better.  

Shepard mentally shook his head to clear the random thought.

“No, it’s alright.  I needed to change it up for the showcase anyway!”  Shepard gave a friendly smile to hide his true intentions.  Surely Alenko would give up the game and admit…

“Let me look and see what I can do!”  Alenko said suddenly just as Shepard began his “I told you so” speech.  Shepard ground to a halt with his mouth still open.

“What?”  Shepard said as Alenko nodded and hurried to the door where he threw on a battered hoodie.

“If Nexus got in your bed, then I’ll need to replace what he damaged.  But let me look and see if I can help you save anything!”  Alenko explained as he grabbed a leash and put it on the excited Nexus.  “Liam, Uncle K’s going to head out really quick!  Lock the door behind me?”

Liam poked his head around the corner and gave a thumb up before disappearing once more into the house.  “You’re up the street, right?”  He asked as the trio wandered up the street.  Shepard nodded and noticed that Alenko took time to wave to the neighbors; and he seemed genuinely happy to see them!  Shepard grumbled and hunched his shoulders when one of them turned their fake grin to him.

“I’m sorry?”  Alenko asked.

Shepard shook his head and poured extra happiness into his voice – and if he choked on it a bit, that was no one’s business. “Nothing.  Just commenting on the nice weather!”  Alenko nodded and tugged on the leash as Nexus tried to run after something he saw.

“It is!  I’ll admit I wasn’t sure about moving this far away from the city for university, but Liam and Nexus seem to love it!  And you can’t seem to find a decent program in my field in Vancouver.  Go figure!”  Kaiden took a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh.

Shepard wondered if the man was always this happy or was trying to continue his farce until the bitter end.  He decided to probe more before passing judgement.

“So, is Liam yours?”

Kaiden shook his head, “Nah, but I wish he was!  He’s my friend’s kid and I watch him while she’s at work.”

“That’s kind of you,” Shepard said carefully.  How anyone could stomach watching a kid was beyond him.

“It’s no problem really!  He’s a great kid and Nexus loves him.  Keeps the two of them out of my hair!”

Shepard looked at Alenko’s hair on reflex, and he certainly did not notice how good it looked even messy and obviously unkempt.

Idly, Shepard wondered what it would look like when he first woke up.  Purposely, Shepard ignored the thought.

“Which one is yours?  They kinda all look alike!”  Alenko’s question pulled Shepard from his musing as they neared his house.

“Yeah, they are a bit cookie cutter, aren’t they?”  Shepard said dismissively.  Any imbecile could tell the difference between them no problem.  You just had to notice…

“I mean, I know they’re all different.  The siding, the landscaping, the details.  But still, sometimes I wonder if the whole urbanization thing has some merit.  Outside of a text book that is.”

Shepard paused and gave a sideways glance at Alenko, “What?”

“What?”  Alenko asked distractedly as Nexus tugged on the leash towards Shepard’s house.

“Urbanization?  What does that even mean?”  The question came out harsher than Shepard wanted but he decided to go with it.  The man beside him was insistent on hiding his true plan and Shepard’s patience was wearing thinner by the second.

“Oh–” Alenko untangled himself from Nexus’s leash– “Urbanization is the process by which rural areas become cities and city-like areas.  It’s a pretty broad term but it describes the whole shebang pretty quickly so I like it,” he explained

“Oh.”  Shepard ignored Alenko’s smile as he explained the term, certain that whatever he felt in his chest was just indigestion.  “I’m this one then.”  Shepard gestured towards his house and led the way up the driveway.  He noticed Alenko looking around and appraising the grounds just like Shepard had appraised his house earlier.

“Oh man, he really did a number on those snapdragons, didn’t he?”  Alenko hooked the leash around his wrist as he tenderly examined the ruined bed.  “Did you have perennials planted already?”

Shepard shook his head as he looked over the damage himself.  Even he could see that the dog had barely done anything except move a bit of empty dirt around.  Sure a few plants had broken flowers or were tilted; but that was an easy fix.

“Umm,” Shepard grumbled under his breath again before coming clean.  “No.  The damn dog didn’t do anything.  I was just pissed and out of coffee and.  Sorry,” he huffed before crossing his arms at the smirking Alenko.  “What?”

Alenko hid his smile behind his hand before getting up and dusting his knees off.  “I know.”

“What do you mean, ‘you know’?  Know what?  That I lied?”  Shepard snapped at the bastard.

“Yup.  But I promise I have good intentions!  I want to help you win the garden competition!”  He said proudly, his chest swelling with what Shepard assumed was pride.

Shepard waited a second for dramatic timing before scoffing.  “No.”  Much to his chagrin, however, Alenko kept the damn smile on his face.

“I thought you’d say that!  So, here’s my counter-offer!”  Alenko pulled out the flyer from his hoodie pocket and pointed at the reward.  “Five-hundred for first place, plus a bike.  You let me work with you and we win?  I get the bike for Liam and you keep the cash for yourself.  Deal?”  Shepard squinted at Alenko in confusion.

“Why work with me when you can enter with your own damn garden.  You know, the one that always beats mine?”

Alenko shook his head, “Can’t.  Clerical error somehow recorded it under Ashley’s name only.  So, I’m out a garden to enter with, and they won’t or can’t change it.  So, I figure it’ll be fun to see if I can beat myself!”  Alenko stuck his hand out again, his damnably bright smile back on his face.  “Plus, you stand to profit…” Alenko prompted as he waggled his eyebrows.  Shepard felt the indigestion flare up again and cleared his throat.

“Fine.  But I get final say in design,” Shepard said stubbornly.

“More than fair!”  Alenko shook his hand once more – and again he felt something race up his arm; perhaps Dr. Chakwas should to take a look as soon as Shepard had a chance.  “Tell you what, meet me on your lunch break…”

“I’m retired.  I can do whenever.”  Shepard interjected.  He readied to answer Alenko’s inane questions about retired from what, who he was, why he was retired at such a young age…

“That’s perfect!  Meet around four, four-thirty then?  Gives me time to pick up Liam from school too!”  Alenko put the flyer back in his pocket and gave Shepard an expectant look from underneath his full eyebrows.

Shepard mentally slapped himself again, “Let me get this straight,” he snapped, “you purposely loosed your mutt to dig in my empty beds in the hopes of getting a chance to ask if you could use my garden to win the showcase and get a free bike for your friend’s damn kid?”

Alenko nodded, “Yeah, underhanded, I know.  But it worked, didn’t it?”

Shepard grinned – albeit reluctantly – and found the sensation worryingly unfamiliar.  “Yeah, it did.  Fine.  Where do you want to meet?”

Alenko pumped his fist, “Alright!  Let’s meet at that diner, Omega.  Plenty of light and close enough to the school and here for me to walk.”  Alenko clapped Shepard’s shoulder.  “You won’t regret this!  I promise!”  Alenko ran off with an excited Nexus following him before Shepard could get another word in.

Stymied, Shepard stormed inside and sat down at the kitchen table, noting that Garrus had yet to move.

“I’m guessing everything went well?  You’re down a dog,” Garrus said with a slight smirk.

“Oh, you noticed, did you?”  Shepard got back up and paced through the kitchen, his hands itching to find something to do.

“What crawled up your ass?”  Garrus grumped as he folded his newspaper, set it down carefully, and ran his finger along the crease while Shepard fumed.  “See, you haven’t even come up with something to say.  Normally you would be ready with something smart to say by now; but you’re just glaring at me.  So what's up?”

Shepard glared his roommate beneath the cabinetry.  “Shut up.”

Garrus laughed, “There he is!  Welcome back, Shepard, have a good trip?”  He straightened his paper before smirking at Shepard again.  “Did you bring me anything?”

“Hold on –” Shepard stuck his hand in his pocket–“I got you this!”  He pulled his hand out and showed off his raised middle finger with a flourish before joining Garrus at the table with a cup of coffee.

“So, the dog,” Garrus prompted Shepard, earning a long-suffering sigh from the man.

“The demon,” Shepard corrected, “was a ploy to manipulate me from the Alenko and Williams’s household.”

“Oh, Ashley and Kaiden?  I remember them from a barbeque not that long ago.”  Garrus flipped a page, “Good people as I recall.  Can’t really see one of them pulling some sort of con on you like that.”

Shepard gestured with his cup, “You might think.  But I assure you that Alenko at least is not at all as innocent as he might have you believe.”  A bit of coffee splashed out of his cup with his last word and Garrus sniffed disdainfully.  “Don’t get your panties in a knot, I’ll clean it up.”  
Shepard got up and grabbed a paper towel and a wet wipe to clean up the mess as Garrus kept a close watch to ensure that he did it exactly perfect.  

“Thank you.  Now, about the dog/demon thing?”  Garrus asked once he ensured Shepard had cleaned the table perfectly.

Shepard threw away the used wipes and continued his story.  “Alenko…”

“Kaiden.  His name is Kaiden,” Garrus supplied unhelpfully.

Shepard rolled his eyes at the comment and continued his rant, “Kaiden loosed his demon on my garden in a ploy to win a bike for his friend’s kid.”

“How dare he,” Garrus said sarcastically.

“All because of some mistake that barred him from entering with his own damn house.  So now he’s using my house to do it!”

“My house.”  Garrus reminded him as he finished the paper and folded it into quarters, folding down each crease with a finger.

“Whatever,” Shepard said.  “As I was saying, now this Kaiden and I are going to meet to discuss a design for the garden bed.”

“But you suspect he’s up to something.  Or you wouldn’t be so pissy right now.”  Garrus leaned forward on the table and studied Shepard.  “What are you worried about?”

Shepard huffed, “I don’t trust the situation.  Something’s off about him and I don’t like it.”

“Off?”  Garrus asked politely, his attention in the conversation already waning.

“Yeah.  Off.”  Shepard got up and finished his coffee.  “And come tomorrow at around sixteen-hundred to sixteen-thirty hours I’ll find out his motives.”

“Sure you will buddy.”  Garrus said as he pulled his phone out and checked it.  “Sure you will.”

Shepard ignored the cryptic comment and pulled out his phone, making notes on what plants he wanted and how he wanted them arranged in his – Garrus’s technically – flower bed.  On a whim, he decided to see what the internet knew of Kaiden and searched his name.

A list of about twenty to thirty names popped up, each one within fifty miles of Shepard.  None were listed as living in the suburb, but then again neither was Shepard.  It still had his address at Norfolk from when he had just been discharged.

Scrolling through the list he eliminated a few names based on age (no way his Kaiden Alenko was older than thirty-five), kids (he had said he wished Liam was his and did not mention any previous or other child-care experience), and one that had Kaiden listed as a woman (unless Kaiden thought he was a woman, then it would make the search a lot easier).  He was still looking at a list of six names though.

“Who are you, Kaiden Alenko?”  Shepard asked his phone, flipping through the profiles as he worked up the nerve to check social media.

“You could ask him tomorrow–” Garrus interrupted his ponderings–“you know, instead of searching his name and then stalking him on the internet.  Might work just as well.”  His tone was flat but a faint smirk curved his mouth just ever so slightly.

Shepard huffed, “careful Vakarian, I might think you’re cracking a joke.”  When Garrus shrugged, and returned to his phone Shepard mulled over the advice.

He could just ask Kaiden about himself.  It would foster a better working relationship and allow Shepard a chance to interact with him outside of the fraud.  But it left him open for deception should Kaiden try to lie.

He looked back at the six names and realized that as annoying as it was to admit, Garrus was right.  He needed to stop trying to act like a soldier and calm down a little.  Returning his phone to his pocket he dropped his chin to his crossed arms on the table to glare at Garrus through his eyebrows

“I’m impressed.  You actually took my advice,” Garrus said without looking up.

“Yeah, yeah.  Don’t you have to work today?  Or is being an annoying ass your job now?”  Shepard replied, his voice higher with his neck stretched.

“Oh no, annoying you is a benefit to being your landlord.  Besides, I don’t have to leave for another three minutes.  Plenty of time to finish reading my article and annoy you.”  Garrus scrolled through the article before flipping off Shepard.  “See?”

“Asshole.”

Garrus nodded, “That’s what it says on my nametag.”  He checked his watch, “And now I have to leave.  Do try and not wear a hole in the floor with your pacing.  I’d have to keep your security deposit and charge you to fix it.”

Shepard glared at Garrus as he grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door.  With his hand on the doorknob he turned and gave one last piece of advice, “don’t worry this too much, Shep.  I know you, and I know you’ll sit there and pick it apart; but just this once try and let it be?  Just go with it.  Okay?”

Shepard rolled his eyes but bit back the sarcastic comment.  “Get to work, Vakarian.  Don’t worry about me.”

“Someone has to, John.”  With that, Garrus left for work and left the very annoyed Shepard alone to glare at the door.  

Shepard hated it when Garrus did that.  Pretending to care about him like that.  He didn’t need it, and he knew Garrus had more to do than look after some has-been soldier.

 


	2. Two Men

The next day Shepard dragged himself to Omega again forgoing his cane, ignoring Garrus’s offer of a ride and the numerous concerned looks from the meddling neighbors.  Huffing and wheezing his way to the annoyingly-far diner, Shepard rubbed his throbbing leg and cursed the humidity.  Once at the diner – approximately twenty minutes early according to his watch – he sat down at a far table and let his eyes wander the restaurant.

Kaiden had been right, he supposed.  The large and numerous windows did let in an ungodly amount of light, but the dark woods and numerous fabrics seemed to absorb most of the light giving the entire place a homey feeling of closeness and comfort which made Shepard’s leg ache even more.

“Shepard?”  Shepard jerked in his seat and banged his leg on the table leg, the string of curses dying on his tongue when he saw Liam busily situating himself in the seat across from him.

“You’re here,” Shepard managed, trying to stretch his face to some semblance of a smile.

Kaiden gave him an odd look before leaning down and asking Liam to go order himself some ice cream at the front.  Liam’s eyes widened comically far before he bolted from the seat, leaving the two men alone.

Kaiden sat down.  “You doing alright?”  He asked gently, his voice somehow not another jagged piece of glass in his ear.

“I’m fine.”  Shepard shifted in his seat.  “Now, let’s talk flower bed plans please.  The sooner I can get out of here, the better.”

Kaiden looked concerned for a second before that damn smile came back.  “I have an idea then!”  He shot up and sauntered over to Liam, who was standing in line.  The two whispered something before Kaiden sauntered back over.  “You wanted to get on out of here?”

Shepard looked up at him and crossed his arms, “I did say that, didn’t I?”

Kaiden laughed, “Yes you did!  Come on, I know a place that isn’t so loud.”

Shepard opened his mouth to argue that he did not need some damn white knight to sweep him away from a bit of noise like some arthritic grandfather when he realized the noise was too much.

The constant shouting and general din reminded him too much of another time when everyone had been shouting and it was getting hard for him to hear anything around him as the sound of an alarm started its silent wail from the not-deep-enough recesses of his memory. 

Fighting against the rising panic he slowly stood, only to have his leg crumple under him when he put too much weight on it.  Faster than he could protest, Kaiden grabbed his chest and shoulder, wrapping his arms around Shepard to hold him steady.  

“You okay?”  Kaiden asked, his hot breath making Shepard’s skin tingle.

“I’m fine!”  He yelped too quickly, his brain unsure how to react.  Thankfully, Kaiden seemed to know what to do and in short work had Shepard upright and steady – except for his racing heart.  Kaiden pat his shoulder gently and they collected Liam who was waiting with an ice cream cone by the door.

Together, the trio wandered over to the park where Liam immediately ran off to play with a group of kids and a soccer ball.  Kaiden and Shepard wandered over to the bee garden and sat on a bench while the sweetened breeze blew the occasional bee over before she would wander off back to her job.

“How long have you had anxiety like that?”  Kaiden asked at length.  “Or was it something else?”

“What?”  Shepard asked testily.  Why did Alenko – Kaiden – insist on jabbering endlessly?  They had business to attend to.

“At the diner,” Kaiden replied, “you were tense and kept ducking your head whenever someone or something moved by you.”

Shepard felt a shiver of fear race down his spine but kept his voice level.  “I’m not too fond of people studying me.  With or without my knowledge.”

Kaiden blushed.  “I didn’t – I mean.  Dammit.”  Kaiden sighed and bowed his head.  “I’m sorry Shepard.  I didn’t mean to do that to you; I get why you’d be upset though.”  Kaiden pulled his hair back and showed Shepard a faint scar that snaked through his temple and further back into the mess of thick hair.  “Cancer when I was young.  I’m still being poked and prodded every now and then.  Makes me feel powerless and exposed.  I’m sorry I did it to you.”

Shepard gave Kaiden a look before grumbling.  “Listen, don’t apologize.  You didn’t know and I get you were trying to help.”  Shepard massaged his leg while he talked, only stopping as Liam returned from his game.

The boy gave Shepard a smile before whispering into Kaiden’s ear and giving him a hopeful look.  Kaiden nodded and Liam ran off to the playground and rejoined his peers.

“He respects you.  You might as well be his father,” Shepard said aloud, more to find something to talk about than anything.

“Yeah.”  Kaiden smiled fondly over at Liam.  “I mentioned he’s Ashley’s right?”  Shepard nodded and shifted on the bench.

“You said friend, but I figure that’s close enough.”

Kaiden nodded.  “She might as well be my sister by now,” Kaiden said with a chuckle.  “But anyway, Liam’s parents both died suddenly in an accident.  And his older sister couldn’t care for an infant so she asked for Ashley’s help.”

“She asked a stranger for help?”  Shepard asked, confused.

“Sorry, Liam’s family and Ashely had been friends for a few years by that point.  And his sister didn’t have any surviving family members so she turned to the closest source: Ashley.  Fast forward a few years and Ashley decides to take full custody of Liam because the sister just isn’t the mothering type.  I move in shortly thereafter and baby makes three, I guess.”

Shepard gave Kaiden another look, this one softer.  “You really love him like he’s your own, don’t you?”

Kaiden nodded.  “I’m his guy, you know?  He loves Ashley like his own mother, even calls her Mom.  But I’m the only guy in his life.  I’m his Uncle K, his big brother slash father.”

Shepard nodded but said nothing, the breeze carrying the laughter of Liam and his new friends over to them.  “You want to talk about the garden?”  Shepard prompted.

Kaiden nodded and rose to a standing before offering Shepard a hand.  Shepard glared at the man but took the hand and let Kaiden pull him to standing.  Any sudden shocks or racing heartbeats were simply from standing too fast.

“Follow me.”  Kaiden gave Shepard a grin that crinkled the corner of his warm, brown eyes.  “I have a plan.”

“Famous last words, Alenko,” Shepard joked, unconscious of the lingering hand on his arm.

“True, but sometimes they can be the start of something great, too.”  Kaiden shot back playfully.  Shepard felt his heart leap at the heat in his voice.  His mind suddenly connected the pieces.  The jokes, the innuendos, the unceasing attention, the lingering touches.

“Are…are you flirting with me?”


	3. A...Drive?

"Well, was he?"  Joker asked, swerving into another lane of traffic before gliding back over.

“If you get us killed I’m not telling you!”  Shepard grabbed onto the grab handle and watched as a driver flipped off Joker.

“Don’t worry your pretty head, Commander–”they both knew Shepard hated that nickname, no matter how well it stuck–“you’re riding with the best pilot in the entire USAF!”  Joker said as he changed lanes yet again, causing a car to blare their horn at him.

“Best pilot my ass,” Shepard groused under his breath.  He hated riding with Joker, but with Garrus and Natalia (Tali to her friends) both busy, Joker was the only one available to drive Shepard to the doctor’s.

“You never answered the question though,” Joker pressed, “Was he flirting?”  He waggled his eyebrows under his cap at Shepard and earned a frightened yelp as he nearly hit another car.

“Goddammit, Joker!  I didn’t survive just to have you kill me!”  Shepard yelled.  “Fucking Christ!”

Joker frowned, “Sorry.  I’ll do better, man.  Sorry.”

Shepard took a few deep breaths.  “Fuck.  I’m sorry too.  I’ve been on edge with this whole showcase thing and Chakwas chewed my ass good.”  Shepard finally let go of the bar and relaxed fractionally.  “Just please, watch the road?”

“You got it Commander!”  Joker said with a smile.  “But yeah, the flirting.”

“Yes, the flirting,” Shepard said mysteriously as he tugged at his collar.  “Well, you’re driving right now.  But let me just say, I’m very glad I’m wearing a collared shirt today,” Shepard said.

Joker’s eyes widened before he let out a belt of laughter.  “Oh.  My.  God!  Did Commander Shepard get frisky with Mr. Neighbor in the gardens?  Haha, this is too rich!”

“Joker-” Shepard watched as his driver fiddled with the console in the dash – “What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry about it, Commander.  I’ve got everything…”

“What?”  Jack asked irritably.

Shepard hit Joker with an incredulous look, but Joker ignored it.

“How’s the meanest tattooed bad-ass this side of the Rockies doing?”  Joker asked, stymieing Shepard’s attempt to end the call.

“She was about to take someone up into her room, but is now talking with the walking stick from her nightmares.  The fuck do you want, Moreau?”

“Funny that you should mention your room, Jack,” Joker said with a wink, “because our Mr. Shepard here might be using his room soon too!”

“Jeff!”  Shepard choked out.

“Oh?”  Jack laughed.  “Hey Cheerleader, come ‘ere and check this out!  Shepard’s got a boy toy!”

“Oh?  Do tell Mr. Shepard.”  Miranda’s soft voice came through the car speakers as Shepard glared daggers at Joker.

He loved Miranda, but she was one of the women in his life bound and determined to mother him until his dying breath, and right now?  Not wanted.  At all.

“No.”  Shepard said firmly.  “There’s no way I’m telling you any…”

“He has hickies on his neck!”  Joker interrupted.  “And now he’s blushing so red I can barely see them!”

“Ha!  Nice one, Shepard!  Glad to see you coming out of your shell!”  Jack said.

“As am I.  It’s good to hear that you’re doing okay, Shepard.”  Miranda said excitedly.

Shepard rolled his eyes, unsurprised by her concern, but still annoyed by it on principle.  “Well, as nice as it is to hear that you’re getting your kicks from my non-existent love life, I’m afraid we’re hitting a spot of bad reception and…”  Shepard finally managed to hit the call end button and snatched the phone from Joker’s lap.  “No more for you until you can be responsible with it.”

“Ugh.  Fine, Dad,” Joker said snidely before softening his tone, “But it is good to see you doing something other than being pissed and alone.  We’ve been worried, Sir.”

Shepard looked out the window for a while before answering.  “You don’t need to call me that anymore.  My service is done, Jeff.  I’m out of the game permanently.”  He rubbed his leg absentmindedly as he spoke, the phantom shrapnel digging into his skin.

“Shepard?”  Joker put a hand on his good knee and gave it a slight squeeze, “You’ll always be my commander.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way, Sir.”

Shepard muttered a thank you but kept his attention on the passing scenery.

After a while, Joker took his hand off his knee and turned the radio on, filling the poignant silence with banal country-pop songs.  As Joker pulled into the driveway outside Shepard’s house he turned the radio off, “Now, I know you like to mope in peace, but are you going to be okay?”

Shepard resisted the urge to snap, trying to remember the advice Chakwas gave him about friends being pushy as a sign of love.  “I’ll be fine, Joker.  Just need some time to do…Kaiden?”  Shepard asked suddenly, his voice cracking a bit.

“Do Kaiden?  Is that the guy’s name?”  Joker laughed, “Damn Commander, way to run the bases!”

“No, Kaiden is outside my house and…” Shepard swallowed hard.  “Go home, Joker.  I’ll be fine.”

“Come on, Commander, don’t be like that!”  Joker whined.  But when Shepard got out of the car and shot him a harsh look he relented and drove off demanding that Shepard call him later.

Shepard promptly forgot the promise and focused on the shirtless Kaiden in his front yard measuring the flower beds.  Shepard slowly made his way over and stood over the man as he was crouched over a notebook filled with diagrams covered in scribbled notes.  “Can I help you?”  Shepard asked with a laugh.

Kaiden startled but rose with a smile on his face – his gorgeous face that had a dirty, dirty mouth, his brain helpfully provided.  “Hey there!  Didn’t see you and your roommate, Gary?”

“Garrus,” Shepard corrected.

“Garrus.  Said I could do some measurements before we planned the design.”  Kaiden held up his notebook as proof as Shepard looked anywhere but the dark purple mark underneath Kaiden’s collar bone.

“And the missing shirt?”  Shepard asked, ignoring how Kaiden’s hand pat his torso –taunt and toned, but was also ticklish and covered in a dusting of hair, came the unhelpful commentary again.

“Oh.  It got hot and I wanted to take it off–,” Kaiden smirked and shrugged–“guess I forgot to put it back on?”

“Hmm.”  Shepard rolled his eyes. “And the fact that it’s barely sixty outside with a strong breeze means nothing to you?”  Shepard pulled out his phone and showed the temperature to Kaiden.

“I uh…no?”

“Right.  So you didn’t just shiver in the breeze?”  Shepard asked with smirk of his own.

“Well…”

“Are you attempting to seduce me again in another shameful display of your gorgeous body?”  Shepard asked as he stepped closer, clasping his hands behind his back to stop them from trailing through the hairs around Kaiden’s navel.

Kaiden gave a throaty chuckle, “You certainly seem to have a high opinion of yourself, sir.”

“Only when my hot neighbor is standing half-naked in my yard in a vain attempt to encourage a tryst, I do,” Shepard said.

“Are you accusing me of suffering in the cold for over an hour because I simply wanted to get you hot and bothered?”  Kaiden asked, his voice low and with a hint of a laugh.

“Were you?”

“Maybe just a bit.  Did it work?”  Kaiden put his hands on Shepard’s waist and closed the distance.

Shepard cupped Kaiden’s chin and tilted his head for a kiss, before leaning past Kaiden to whisper in his ear, “Get the damn flowers first, then we’ll talk.”  He walked past Kaiden and picked up the discarded shirt.  “And put your shirt on, you’ll catch a cold.”

Kaiden caught the shirt and put it on in one motion.  “You’re a real pain sometimes, you know that?”

Shepard thought a moment, “Yes.  I do.”


	4. A Friend

“I think the garden is coming along nicely,” Liara commented as she and Shepard sipped their tea.

Shepard shrugged, “Thanks.  But it’s mainly Kaiden’s work.”  Shepard put the glass down on the table and stretched out on the chair, enjoying the cool breeze blowing across his aching leg.

“Is it now?  He has an excellent eye then.”  Liara gave Shepard a sideways glance, “and if the rumors are to be believed, that isn’t the only excellent thing he has.  I’m just glad to see you making friends again, Shepard.  It’s been a long time.”

Shepard rolled his eyes but gave no other indication that he heard Liara.  “Why does everyone keep reminding me of that?”  Shepard grumped, crossing his arms.

“Perhaps because everyone is worried about you?”  Liara turned her head to give Shepard a soft look, “You’ve been a bad place, we just want you to be okay.”

“I’m fine, Liara.”  Shepard said immediately.  “You don’t need to worry about me, none of you do.”

Liara placed a comforting hand on his arm, “I know, John.  That’s why we worry.”

Shepard bristled at the use of his first name but kept it to himself, unwilling to give Liara anything to use as proof of his issues.

“Okay then,” she said, breaking the stony silence, “tell me about the flowers?”

Shepard shrugged and grabbed his tea from the table and sipped it again.  “So far, it’s not much of anything.  We’re still have to finalize the last bit of ground cover then we have to go buy the vast majority of the plants still.  But it’ll look good when it’s done.”

“Are you going for a specific theme, like a color or something?”  Liara asked a bit exasperated.

“Not really.”  Shepard told her.  “I think we’re just going for things that don’t look ugly together.”

“Descriptive, Shepard.  Didn’t you get a degree in English?”  Liara joked.  “The best you come up with is ‘not ugly together’?”

“Linguistics, different beast entirely Liara,” Shepard said as he checked his phone.

Liara looked over and chuckled, “Is the grin on your face from your new friend?”  Shepard’s blush told her everything though and she lay back on her chair, mirroring Shepard’s nonchalant pose earlier.  “I see.  Tell him that your mothers want to meet him if you two are going to be continuing your affair, please.”

“ ‘Hey Kaiden, just wanted to let you know that my pushy, nosy, and annoying friends want a chance to grill you for personal information that they have no business asking for in an attempt to vet you for their own nefarious reason, independent and apart from my wishes.  Sound good?’ ”  Shepard read aloud.

Liara smacked Shepard’s arm but smiled at the jab.  “Very funny, Shepard.  I just want to know his intentions for my best friend ever.”

“Wouldn’t that be your computer?”  Shepard asked, “The one you spend most of your time in front of?”

Liara opened and closed her mouth a few times.  “I resent that statement, Shepard.  But you have a point at times, though.  So I will forgive you this time.”

“You have my deepest gratitude, Lady T’Soni.  I will forever be in your debt,” Shepard said sarcastically.

Liara laughed and drank from her tea–“You are most welcome, Lord Shepard.  May you walk in the Goddess’s light,” she said in a fake British accent.

They shared a laugh before settling back into a comfortable silence underneath the open sky, each enjoying the gentle breeze.

“So, when’s the next date?”  Shepard groaned at the smug tone in Liara’s question.

“I wasn’t aware we’d had a first date, Mother,” Shepard grumbled.

Liara turned to look at Shepard with an unamused frown, “Shepard, you have hickies still from your last encounter.  Hickies on your chest…”

“Collar bone, still counts as neck, technically,” Shepard interjected.

Liara rolled her eyes.  “Fine.  On your person below the shirt.  That’s some hot and heavy if I’ve ever heard of it.  Are you at least carrying protection?  At the rate you two are going it might bear prudent…”

“And we are done talking about this!” Shepard yelped as his cheeks turned red.

Liara laughed and announced she was getting more tea leaving Shepard alone with his thoughts; which were currently dominated by a picture of Kaiden, Liam, and that damn dog.

Kaiden had sent it from the garden shop to let Shepard know that he was picking out the plants they had discussed and would be sending him regular updates as necessary.  Shepard wondered if he actually saw the smirk on Kaiden's face or if he was making things up in his head.  Probably both.

He sent a picture of himself with his tea and told Kaiden that he was defending his honor before one of his “mothers”.  Kaiden immediately replied with a picture of him holding Nexus with both giving puppy dog eyes, captioned with “We both owe you one now ;)”.  Shepard chuckled at the picture and saved it, entranced by the slight frown on Kaiden’s face.  He wondered what else those lips could do given some prodding and opportunity, “Shit.”  
Shepard sat up and groaned.

“Dammit Shepard, get your shit under control!”  He was a retired Navy officer for God’s sake, what the hell was he doing acting like a love-sick teen?

“Shepard, what’s wrong?”  Liara asked as she rubbed his back gently.  He jerked away from it on reflex before shaking his head and grabbing her hand to tug her beside him.  She took the hint and sat down to wrap him in a soft hug.

“Are you upset about the whole Kaiden thing?”  Liara asked gently.

Shepard nodded into Liara’s shoulder and let out a stuttering sigh.

“Oh Shepard.  You know it’ll be okay, right?  You’re allowed to have fun and enjoy life every now and then.”

“Liara, what am I doing?  I’m a grown adult getting giddy over a make out session!”  Shepard begged of her, his voice filled with confusion and pain.

Liara pat his head and rocked slightly, “You’re being human, Shepard.  We all get happy about things and are allowed to be excited to talk about them.”

“Liara, he’s helping me commit fraud.  For his own gain!  There’s nothing to be excited about!”  Shepard complained, trying to voice something and failing.

“Are you happy?  Or at least happier?”  Liara asked at finally, her voice warm and maternal.

“Yeah, but…”

“Then start there,” Liara said firmly, “if something about it makes you happy, then be happy in the moment.  You can figure out the rest later when you’re not so torn up.”

“What if it never gets easier?”  Shepard asked in a brittle tone.  Liara stilled her rocking and turned his face to look him in the eye.

“Then you walk away and know you did everything you could do to find that happiness, Shepard.”  Liara frowned and stroked his cheek softly.  “I’ve watched you die so many times, Shepard.  And not just in the hospital.  Every time you draw away from us you die a bit more inside.  Now I see you starting to revive and I need you to grab it.  Fight for this, Shepard.  Where ever it goes.  Promise me?”

Shepard nodded, something inside of him telling him that she was right; though she had no way of knowing how true those words were to him.

The thoughts of all the times he had dreamed of dying just to escape the pain and stop the guilt bubbled up to the surface of his consciousness from their cage; but he promised her anyway.  He owed the friend who saved his life that much.  “I will, Liara.  I promise.”


	5. A Dog

Shepard woke up to Nexus on his bed.  Garrus woke up to Shepard yelling and cursing about “demon dogs”.  Liam woke up to the angry knocking on the front door of his house.  Ashley woke up to Liam shaking her awake to deal with the “angry man with Nexus outside”, and Kaiden woke up to Ashley’s demand that he handle his damn boyfriend.  Needless to say, it was not a good day for any of them – except for Nexus who seemed happy as a clam.

“Morning Shepard,” Kaiden said around a yawn, his eyes still heavy with sleep.  Shepard hated how good he looked with his scruff and bed-head.

“Your dog is a criminal, Alenko–” Shepard thrust the beast into Kaiden’s arms and crossed his arms– “he broke into my house.”

Kaiden looked down at the dog and back up at Shepard, confused.  “He…broke into your house?”  Kaiden asked slowly.

Shepard nodded emphatically.  “Yes.  I woke up this morning to see him attempting to attack me in my sleep!”  Nexus gave a small bark and Kaiden let him down, taking the time to hide his snigger.

“I’m sure he was; I mean, look at him–” Nexus had curled into a ball and was softly snoring on Shepard’s boot, shoestring in mouth–“he’s obviously a threat to the safety of those around him.”

Shepard grumbled and jerked his boot away from the dog, moving to the side before returning his attention back to Kaiden.  “Mock me all you like, your dog still trespassed into my home.  As he is your dog, that means you are liable for his actions.”

“Then let me buy you breakfast,” Kaiden said.

“And furthermore–” Shepard blinked–“excuse me?”

Kaiden gave Shepard an easy smile and leaned against the doorframe.  Shepard certainly was not looking at the way his shirt gripped his biceps.  “Liam, Ashley, and I have a Sunday tradition of doing breakfast together.  Why don’t you and Garrus join us?  It’ll be a way to discuss how to handle Nexus’s habit of wandering onto your property,” Kaiden said that last part beguilingly.

“Fine.  But this is simply a convenient way to discuss consequences of your lack of control over that damn-” Shepard looked down to see the dog had again sprawled across his boot and was idly teething on his shoestring in his sleep- “beast.”  Shepard finished with a grumble.  

“Exactly. Meet at the park outside Omega in twenty minutes?  We can discuss what to do from there?”

“Wouldn't it be easier to just meet at Omega?”  Shepard grumped.

Kaiden shrugged and it certainly did not expose just how well sculpted his chest was.   _God, did he purposely wear a shirt a size too small_ , Shepard wondered.  He shook his head and focused back on Kaiden.

“…So I figured it would be easier to skip the whole thing and just meet at the park.  If you’re up to it we hit Omega; if you’re not I can order and we eat in the park.”

“I don’t need a babysitter Alenko.  I’m a fucking adult,” Shepard snapped.

“I know,” Kaiden assured him, “and I wouldn’t think of babying you either, before you get on me about that.  I’m just offering alternatives in case something doesn’t work.”

Shepard frowned but found himself unable to find anything to be upset about.  It was true that Kaiden had not said to stay out of Omega; and truth be told he would rather avoid it if possible.  “I still don’t need you patronizing me, Alenko.”

“And I don’t want to either–” he grinned and finished with a laugh– “so we’re the perfect pair!”

Shepard grinned despite himself.  Something about that phrase struck a happy chord with him and he felt a tension he never knew he had relax.  “Yeah, perfect pair alright.”

Kaiden’s grinned widened to a smile as he reached out and tapped Shepard on the chest.  “Now that that’s taken care off, want to sneak off and make out again?”  He laughed at Shepard’s surprised sputtering before pushing off the door jamb.  “In all seriousness, we should have a repeat performance of that, don’t you think?”

“I, uh, that would be.  That is to say-” Shepard rubbed the back of his burning neck, “I would not be opposed I suppose to repeating that particular…”  He ground to a halt as Kaiden sauntered over with that damnable smirk on his face.

Shepard tried to match his easy grace but something curled around his heart and sent it racing as Kaiden grabbed his hands and placed them on his own hips then wrapped his arms around Shepard’s neck.

“You know, for the a bad-ass persona you project you sure get tongue-tied easily.”

“I do not!”  Shepard said defiantly, his cheeks turning red in the morning light.

Kaiden laughed as he lightly kissed Shepard, his breath still heavy with the scent of his morning coffee.

Shepard grinned against Kaiden’s lips and deepened the kiss as Kaiden gave an approving rumble deep in his chest that sped straight to Shepard’s stomach, pooling there and lower with the growing heat.

Shepard’s hands left Kaiden’s hips and slipped over his ass, groping it before sliding down the waistband of his Blasto pajama bottoms.  “Commando?  Someone’s confident,” Shepard whispered against Kaiden’s ear, relishing the sensation of feeling the man’s stubble rubbing against his own.

“Usually am,” Kaiden said as he nipped at Shepard’s ear, “found it tends to work in my favor.”

“You play a very dangerous game, Alenko…”

“Are you Uncle K’s boyfriend?”  Liam asked loudly from the front door behind Kaiden.  The two men jerked apart and Nexus yipped as his bed suddenly moved out from under him.

“Liam!”  Kaiden recovered first and cleared his throat.  “What’re you doing?”

Liam pointed at his wrist where a watch would go, “It’s breakfast time.  Mama Ash’s hungry.  Said you would be out here talking with your boyfriend and ‘to get you a-s-s –” he spelled out–“into the house.”

“Liam!”  Ashley called out from somewhere in the house.  “Get your butt back in here!”

Liam smiled up at Shepard and ran back into the house, his bare feet thumping slightly as Nexus gave chase with a series of staccato clicks.

Kaiden watched them leave before turning back to Shepard with an apologetic smile, “So that happened.”

“Yes.  See you outside Omega’s then?”  Shepard said, his cheeks still blazing red.  Kaiden huffed in annoyance.

“And now we go back to pretending that didn’t just happen, don’t we?”  He raised his hands as Shepard started to retort, “No, I get it.  I’m sorry I said something.  See you later, Shepard.”  Kaiden held out a hand which Shepard shook, his fingers trailing just a second longer than necessary, before heading back inside and shutting the door.

Shepard stared at the door a second before turning slowly and making his own way back home.  He knew Kaiden was annoyed for shutting him out; but Shepard felt something different this time.  Yes there was the fear, the nervousness that comes with facing the unknown; but it paled in comparison to the anticipation, the excitement of what Liam had accidentally opened Shepard’s eyes to.

‘Are you Uncle K’s boyfriend?’  Why did Shepard want the answer to be yes so badly, and why was he so afraid that the answer would be yes?


	6. A PB

Omega was packed, Shepard noted as he settled on a bench and watched the rest of the adults vanish into the diner and the thriving mass of people within.  His heart clutched, for just a second, as a litany of possibilities whispered through his head; fortunately, a small tug on his jacket sleeve grabbed his attention and pulled him from the darkening clouds in his mind.

“What?”  He asked, wincing at the harshness, but Liam seemed to not notice.

“Uncle Kaiden likes you.  So does Mama Ash.  I heard them,” Liam confessed with a smile.

“Were you eavesdropping on them, Liam?”  Shepard asked.  When Liam gave him a confused look and shrugged Shepard explained, “Did you sneak in and listen to the conversation without them knowing?”

Liam shook his head.  “No sir!  Ash says that, ‘kitchen tables are for family talks’!”

Shepard grinned and nodded approvingly.  “Smart kid.”

Liam gave a wide smile before turning his attention to the squirrel running around a nearby tree.  “Kaiden says that you’re sad though–” Shepard’s breath caught in his throat as his he waited for Liam’s next words–“do you want to borrow PB?  She always makes me feel better when I’m sad.”

“Who’s PB, Liam?”  Shepard asked, his fear forgotten in the sudden twist in the conversation.

“She’s my bestest friend!  She’s a squid and she knows the right thing to say!”  Liam explained rapidly as Shepard only half-listened, his attention drifting to Kaiden coming out of the diner with a bag.  He saw Shepard and Liam and made his way over, setting the bag down on the bench, he hoisted and animated Liam up and onto his lap.  

“Uncle K, I think that Mr. ‘Chepard needs a PB!”

Kaiden gave Liam a broad smile, “You do now?  And why’s that?”

“’Cause he’s sad.  And when I’m sad PB makes me feel better; so having a PB for his own would make him feel better!”  Liam explained excitedly, trying to covertly reach into the bag.  Kaiden shifted him and wrapped his arms around him, trapping his arms at his sides.

“And what makes you think that Mr. Shepard is sad?”

“Mr. Shepard is here, you know,” Shepard interjected.

“He’s got nobody to call his own!”  Liam giggled, clearly amused that the adults had failed to grasp this obvious point.  Kaiden and Shepard froze, each waiting for the other’s reaction.  Shepard reacted first.

“Liam, explain.  Please?”

“Listen, I think that…”  Kaiden began hurriedly before Liam interrupted him.

“It’s like in class with the Pilgrims.  They didn’t have a home of their own in London so they were sad.  But then they had America, and they were happy.  Except for the Indians; that didn’t go so well.  You’re not an Indian, are you Uncle Kaiden?”

“I’m not,” Kaiden assured Liam.

“It’s perfect then!  Shepard has to find something he can call his, and then he’ll feel better.  That’s why he needs his own PB!”  Liam finished, his face brightening as Ashley and Garrus arrived with the rest of the food.  “Lemme go, Uncle K!  The food’s here!”  He wiggled out of Kaiden’s arms and raced off to help the adults set up the meal, alternating between chattering with them and running around as he chased something or other that caught his attention.

Shepard and Kaiden sat on the bench, each man again waiting for the other to move first, and again it was Shepard who moved first.  “Precocious kid you got there, Uncle Kaiden.”

“Yeah.  He’s something alright.”  They sat in silence a moment longer before Kaiden spoke again.  “You know though, he’s sometimes eerily right about things like this.  Could be worth talking to him about it.”

“No need,” Shepard said quickly, “I already know he’s right.  I just…”

“What do you do about it?”  Kaiden asked gently as Shepard fell silent.

“Yeah.  How do you claim something from a world that wrote you off?”  To Shepard’s surprise – and happiness – Kaiden offered no advice and only put a hand on Shepard’s leg, softly squeezing it as though to remind Shepard of his presence.

Shepard grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers, curling his so that it firmly trapped Kaiden’s own hand beneath it.  

Shepard wondered if perhaps Chakwas would want to know about the racing heartbeat or the sudden feeling of something flying in his stomach.  But he also selfishly wanted those to himself.  Not for some doctor – no matter how well intentioned – to dissect and help him put together into a safe, sanitary picture; but for him to shuffle through and enjoy as a whole package.

Shepard considered that perhaps he really should stop waxing poetic about holding hands.  Laughing at himself softly he rose from the bench with Kaiden in tow.

“Shall we retire to enjoy the fine cuisine you spent all those hours working on, Mr. Alenko?”

Kaiden turned his hand around and wrapped his own fingers around Shepard’s, holding on just as tightly as Shepard.  “We shall, Mr. Shepard.”


	7. A Problem

Shepard glared at the flowerbed as Kaiden wiped the sweat off his brow.  Of course this would happen.  Something always happened.

“I just don’t understand how you managed to do it!”  Shepard said, his frustration trying to snap through its muzzle.  “You somehow managed not only to purchase the wrong goddamn flower but you bought way too many of them!  What the hell am I supposed to do with them now, Kaiden?  Huh?”

Kaiden slowly stood up and crossed his arms.  “I’m sorry, Shepard.  It was an honest mistake…”

“Do you not want to win your goddamn competition, the one you convinced me to commit fraud for?”  Shepard snapped.  He wanted to take it back immediately once he saw the pained look on Kaiden’s face, but he held his ground.  “Is that what this is about?  You having second thoughts?”  Shepard finished angrily, his chest heaving.

“You either have a very high opinion of myself, or a very low opinion of me; and I don’t know which is more insulting to be honest,” Kaiden said.  He watched Shepard’s face morph between a variety of emotions before settling on what Kaiden had come to recognize as his default: annoyance.  “And now you’re probably going to give me a biting retort to put me in my place, right?”

Shepard glared at Kaiden before grumbling under his breath and storming off.  Kaiden watched him go inside before uncrossing his arms and letting out his breath.  Counting to ten in his head he followed after Shepard.

“John?”  He called through the open door, “I’m going to come on in.  I think we should have a talk.”

“He’s not going to tell you what’s wrong, Kaiden–” Garrus appeared from the kitchen wiping his hands–“come in and let’s talk.”

Kaiden obediently followed Garrus and sat down at the table as he waited for Garrus to speak.  When Garrus still hadn't spoken after a few minutes Kaiden cleared his throat, “You wanted to talk?”

“I don’t want to,” Garrus retorted, “but with your newfound…friendship with John, I figure you ought to know.”  Garrus sat back and let the moment fill before breaking it.  “What do you know about John’s upbringing?”

“Nothing, actually.  He’s pretty tight lipped about it,” Kaiden said as he struggled to remember if Shepard had ever talked about his childhood.

“I’m not surprised.”  Garrus nodded and closed his eyes in an impressive impression of a Buddhist monk Kaiden thought.  “John’s parents were, are…difficult people at the best of times.”

“And at the worst?”  Kaiden hesitantly asked.

Garrus’s silent reply told Kaiden a lot.  “And, of course it only makes it worse that they’re coming for a visit.  They want to ‘check in on their little boy’.”

“I bet that drives Shepard up the wall.  He’d hate being babied like that,” Kaiden said.

Garrus nodded.  “Plus, he had a rough time adapting to civilian life, after his service.  His discharge left a bitter taste in his mouth that still bothers him.”

“What happened?  If you don’t mind me asking,” Kaiden asked.

Garrus folded his hands as though praying before answering, “Shepard has a Purple Heart.  Do you know what that entails?”  Kaiden shook his head but Garrus seemed unsurprised.  “To earn a Purple Heart, a member of the US military must either suffer injury or die in the line of duty while demonstrating courage and bravery.”

“His limp?”  Kaiden asked afraid of the answer for some reason.

Garrus nodded, “He never wanted to serve, doesn’t like to talk about it.  But he did it because he thought it would help his relationship with his parents.  But when it didn’t, and the events leading to the discharge itself only makes it worse, meaning a visit would be quite…” Garrus shrugged, words unnecessary.

“So Shepard has a rocky relationship with his parents.  I did too.  But you don’t see me snapping at everyone around me,” Kaiden pressed, trying to understand why Garrus had shared this with him.

“I know, I know.  And I also know having a rough childhood doesn’t excuse some of his behavior, but hopefully it helps you understand?”

“You mean empathize?”  Kaiden asked.  “It does, but I never had problems empathizing with Shepard.  He’s in pain, and I understand that.”  Kaiden quieted before speaking again, “Do his parents know about me and him?”

Garrus shook his head, “No.  And I don’t think John’s too keen on telling them either.”

“Ah.”  Kaiden said quietly.  He could empathize with Shepard.  But as he said earlier, empathy cannot excuse behavior.  “I think I’ll head home now.  Let him know that I’ll talk with him later?”

Garrus reached out and grabbed Kaiden’s hand and pleaded, “Kaiden, please just.  Let him down easy?  He’s hurting in a lot of places he doesn’t know and–” Garrus shook his head–“just, be easy on him, for the rest of us?”

Kaiden ducked his head and gave a noncommittal answer before fleeing from the house.

Garrus sat still for second before clenching his hands on the table for a slow count of ten, desperately trying to keep from shouting after Kaiden.  With how thin the walls were, Shepard would surely hear anything he shouted.  He probably heard the whole conversation.

“Shit.”  Garrus steeled himself for the coming conversation and waterworks extravaganza with Liara.  Which would involve a call to Miranda, who would want to involve Samara, which meant that Tali would hear about it somehow.  Why did everything have to be so complicated?  Garrus slowly dialed the number for Liara.


	8. A Talk

“Can you see your future yet,” Ashley asked, “You’ve been glaring at your coffee for long enough.”

“Funnily enough–” Kaiden waved a hand over the cup– “it said that my roommate would have a smart comment.”  He looked into the cup and hummed in concentration.  “And now it says that someone is giving me a rude gesture.”

He glanced up with a smirk as Ashley quickly slammed her hand on the table and covered it with the other one, an innocent smile on her face.  Kaiden smiled weakly before returning to his musings.  

“And now you’re seeing when your loving roommate pesters her best friend about what’s eating him, right?”  Ashley asked him.

“And it’s also showing that she won’t rest until she’s sure I’m okay,” Kaiden sighed.

Ashley leaned across the table and put her hands around Kaiden’s on the cup, “No, she won’t because you look like need a friend right now; and unless you got someone up your sleeve, I’m all you got right now.”

Kaiden looked up with a half-smile, “And it’s a lot.  Thanks Ash.”  A long sigh punctuated the sentence before Kaiden spoke again.  “I think I really messed up with Shepard, Ash.  And it’s really tearing me up.”

“Why?”  Ashley squeezed his hands before sitting back and settling into her chair.

“I guess…He’s angry and I just walked away, or at least, that’s what he sees.”

“And you feel ashamed?

“No,” Kaiden said, “I feel…” He searched for the word before giving up and dropping his head heavily to the table.  “I feel like I messed up.”

“Then fix it.”  Ashley shrugged. “You’re an adult and so is he.  If one of you did something to piss the other off you apologize and try to work past it.”

Kaiden picked his head up from the table.  “You really think it’ll be that simple?”

“No,” Ashley said immediately.  “I won’t lie to you, Kaiden.  He’s got a lot going on in his head, a lot that I don’t know if he or you can work past.

“But, if you guys are going to work past it and go the distance, it’s going to be because you’re both honest and upfront with the other about the issues you guys have.  It’s the only way.”

“But what if it doesn’t work, Ash?  What then?”  Kaiden asked, his voice filled with an uncharacteristic fear.

Ashley’s heart hurt for her closest friend, but she knew that he needed the truth.  “Then you two fall apart and you’ll get drunk with me a few times before you get over it,” Ashley joked; but then she tapped her hands on Kaiden’s and waited for him to look back up.  “If it doesn’t work out, K?  Then it doesn’t.  And neither of you are to blame, you were just two ships sliding by in the night that briefly touched.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“But if two ships touch, it’s usually bad, isn’t it?”  Kaiden asked jokingly, earning him a glare from his roommate.

“And pissing off your loving roommate isn’t any worse, right?”  Ashely asked with fake annoyance in her voice.

Kaiden shook his head, “Not when she’s waiting for my half of rent.  If she kills me now, she’s out the money!”  They both began to laugh, their soft chuckles quickly turning into uncontrollable belly-laughs that left them gasping for breath before launching into another peal of laughter when they saw the other struggling to breathe.

Liam and Nexus came into the room to see why they were being so loud but their confused looks only made the pair laugh again eventually driving Liam and Nexus slowly from of the room.

Finally Ashley calmed down enough to breathe, her face bright red from the exertions, “Oh my God!  What the hell was that?”

Kaiden shook his head as the last of his giggles worked their way out of his system.  “I don’t know, but damn that felt good!”  He let his breath out in a loud _whoosh_ as he leaned back in the chair and caught his breath.

“Yeah, but now Liam thinks we’re going crazy,” Ashley said, “And I’m afraid he’s not wrong!”

“Well, I still like you plenty,” Kaiden said, “and I’m for sure not crazy so there’s that.”

“Thanks K, and I’m serious.  Talk to him, honestly and openly, and see what he says.”

“I will, Ash.”  Kaiden got up and kissed the top of her head, “just as soon as I fix his flower bed.”  When Ashley gave him a confused look he blushed.  “Oh yeah, I accidentally got the wrong flowers and they immediately died because his soil couldn’t support it.  So yeah, he has a giant dead patch in his bed now.”

“Good luck with that.  I’m going to see if I can’t get Liam to do his vocabulary homework now,” Ashely told himas she headed upstairs after Liam and Nexus.

Steeling himself, Kaiden headed to the nursery to replace the dead flowers and to come up with some form of an apology speech for Shepard.  Not in that order though, he thought to himself.


	9. A Visit

Shepard had to admit, the flowers looked nice.  His eyes wanted to focus more on the man planting them, but the sounds of his parents in the kitchen did more to focus him than a cold shower and his eyes stayed locked firmly on the plants.

Eventually Kaiden finished replanting the explosion of colors and pushed up to his feet, swiping his hand across his forehead and leaving a track of dirt that Shepard wanted to wipe off; but he stayed his hand as he heard the front door open.

“John,” his mother stuck her head out the door before noticing Kaiden, “Where is…Oh, hello there!”

Kaiden raised a hand, “Hello there.  You must be Miss. Shepard.”  Shepard’s eyes went wide as Kaiden came up the steps to shake his mother’s hand.

“I am, it’s a pleasure to meet you…”

“Kaiden, ma’am,” Kaiden supplied, “I’m just helping fix up Shepard’s beds for the big garden competition.”

“Oh?  You are?”  She gave Shepard a sideways glance before fixing her full attention back onto Kaiden.  Shepard could feel the noose tightening around his neck; there was no way that Kaiden could avoid giving away too much information.  His life was over, he would be…

“Yeah, perhaps you should ask Shepard though, Shepard?”

Shepard shook his head, “What?”  He looked between the two of them before shrugging.   “Yeah, whatever.”

“John, Honey,” Shepard hated how his mother still called him that, like he was still her precious little boy, “Kaiden here was saying that you could explain more about the garden competition.  I must say, I am surprised that this is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Shepard ignored the comment and shrugged, “His dog dug up my bed and he’s helping to fix it.”

“That’s chivalrous of him, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, but why do you care?”  Shepard asked harshly, his temper pulling on the leash.

“John, what is with the attitude all of a sudden?  Are you upset with us?”  His mother sniffed.

Kaiden’s eyes had been bouncing back and forth as they talked but they suddenly widened.

“Mrs. Shepard, why didn’t you mention you had brought your husband along?  I would love to meet him!  Isn’t he the reason Shepard enlisted?”  Kaiden asked, moving between him and his mother.

“Yes, he is!  I’m surprised he talked about that, he and his father have always had a–” she paused before saying with a grimace– “rocky relationship.”

Kaiden nodded his head as he steered and let Mrs. Shepard steer him up the steps inside the house, leaving Shepard fuming in the yard about his parents and where they could fuck off to.

Mary and Richard Shepard were quite the imposing couple – but you could never tell by just looking at them.  They both showed their age (she at 63 and he at 66) and fit the stereotype of the sweet older couple that would offer neighborhood children cookies and fresh sweet teas.

But Shepard knew them, and knew better than that.  Richard “Rick” Shepard was a decorated and celebrated solider who had served his country with pride for his whole life.  Forced to retire due to injuries that finally caught up to him in his old age, Rick turned his attention to his only child.  Shepard hated him for that.

And while his mother could be kinder, Mary Shepard was a master of lying.  Even going so far as to delude herself into believing her own stories about the happy family she had carefully constructed; a story that she would do anything to protect.

“Fucken’ bastard, walking in like that and just,” Shepard’s complaints turned into a stream of muttered curses as he stalked around the yard to work off the rising frustration.  The door opened again and Shepard could feel his back tightening as he readied for another round with his mother before he saw Kaiden coming down the stairs with a worried expression.

“Hey, Shepard,” he said quietly as he got close, “how you doing?”

Shepard let out a long-suffering sigh, “I’m fine, just-” he started to reach out for Kaiden but paused halfway and put his hands in his pocket- “my family and I have always had a ‘rocky relationship’,” he said mockingly.

“Seems like,” Kaiden said softly. “Anything you need?  I can make her disappear for a while, give you some peace.”

“Thanks, but I’ll handle her.  Somehow.”  Shepard started to reach out again, but stopped and let his hands fall limply at his side.  “Thanks though, Kaiden.  It means a lot.”

Kaiden gave him a small smile, the corner of his mouth tugging up, “Anything for the handsome neighbor helping me commit fraud.”

Shepard wanted to laugh, but the thought of his parents killed the smile, leaving a limp corpse behind.  

Kaiden noticed the failed smile but only nodded and gave Shepard a kind smile before stepping back and giving him some space.  “Well, I have to go get Liam.  I should probably be going,” he said.

“Right.  I should go too,” Shepard scratched the back of his neck nervously.

“Call if you need anything?”  Kaiden asked.

Shepard nodded, “Yeah.  Thanks Kaiden.”  He watched Kaiden leave, wishing he could run up and give him a hug and a kiss; just feel him solid and blessedly real beneath him.  But he stayed rooted to his spot.

“John, Honey?  Can you come help real quick?”  Shepard buried the thought of behind openly affectionate with Kaiden, let alone anyone, beneath a familiar façade of indifference and headed back to his mother and father in the living room, bickering over the remote to the television.  He watched them argue back and forth before interrupting them.  “Yes, Mother?”

“John, thank goodness!  Can you get this thing to work?  Your father is missing the baseball game and I can’t make heads or tails of this!”

Shepard took the offered remote and quickly found the baseball game earning a grunt of thanks or maybe approval from Rick.

Shepard excused his self and retreated to his room where he shut the door and let himself have a moment to seethe until his phone buzzed and he checked it, his reluctance turning to happiness upon seeing Jack’s text.

“Hey geek, heard your p-units are in.  Need help? ~Jack.”

Shepard chuckled at the thought of Jack taking on his parents; only problem was that she was crazy enough to do it.  “Thanks for the offer but please don’t beat my parents up ~John.”  He sent back.  Last thing he needed was his parents trying to control his friends next.

“Just let me know.  You know I’d do it for you.  Ashely says hi too ~Jack.”

The knock on the door accompanied with his mom’s, “Honey,” wiped the smile from his face quickly though as he opened the door.

“Yes, Mom?”

“Your roommate Garrus is making dinner now.  Would you like to join us?”  Meaning, John thought, it’s time for your interrogation; your presence is demanded.

“Thank you for letting me know.  I’ll be right down,” John managed to say with a smile.

“Excellent!”  Shepard watched her leave before banging his head on the door jamb.  Why she insisted on keeping up her annoying persona Shepard would never understand; but now was not the time for thoughts like that.  

Shepard closed his eyes and evened his breathing.  He had an interrogation to survive first.


	10. A Crash

The meal was going well - for once.  Garrus had made a delicious shepherd’s pie (a pun that he refused to let die) and Mary and Rick were on their best behavior for most of the dinner.  They traded pleasantries and small talk well enough, only stumbling once when Garrus mentioned Shepard’s problems with his leg.  But for once, Shepard did not feel the hangman’s noose around his neck.  And then Nexus happened.

Mary had just asked about Shepard’s “circle of friends” when there was a clatter from Shepard’s room.  They all startled and looked over as Shepard got up from the table and went to investigate as he thanked whatever god looked over children avoiding their parents.  He opened the door to see the Beast sitting on his bed a pleased as can be and Shepard saw red as the praises quickly turned to curses.

“Goddamn dog!  Garrus, call Alenko!  His fucking beast broke in again!”  He shouted as he yanked the dog off his bed.  He tucked the dog under his arm and marched back to the dining room.  “And tell him that if he doesn’t want me to sue the ever-loving fuck out of his ass he best get this damn thing under control!”

“John!”  His mother shouted from the table, “Please watch your language!”

Garrus gave Shepard a warning look from behind them as he dialed the familiar number.  But the look came too late to stop what happened next.

“Fuck you!”  Shepard shouted back.  “This fucking dog has been the bane of my existence for two months now; I think I’m allowed to cuss if I want to!”

Rick surged to his feet and snapped, “John, do not speak to your mother like that!”  His chest swelling as he tried to vainly intimidate his son like one of his old soldiers.

“Or what,” Shepard spat, “you’ll kick me out again?  You’ll disown me?  You’ll finally make it so that you stay the fuck out of my life?”  As soon as the words left his mouth he knew it was over.

“Is that what you really feel, Son?  Do you want me and your mother out of your life?”  Rick thundered, his voice a gravelly rumble against Shepard’s fraying nerves

Shepard tried to find Garrus, but the coward had slipped out, hiding from the brewing storm.  Shepard wished he had brought him with him; instead, he would have to do this now, even if he could feel the phantom sensations of rocking waves start to move through him.  “I want you to fucking respect me.  Not as a cripple, not as your glorious statement to how devoted you are to the Navy, but as your son.  Your fucking son.”  Shepard finished, his heart dropping to his feet as the silent wail of the alarm started back up in his head.

Nexus whined in Shepard’s arm and tried to nuzzle deeper into his side.  For once Shepard was thankful for the dog’s distracting presence.

“John, you know we love you,” Mary started gently, “we’re just worried about you; that’s all.”  With her earnest look and soft smile, Shepard could almost believe her.

“Then I want to talk about Roger.  I want you to come visit his grave with me.  That all I need from you”  The request hung in the air, years of unsaid accusations making the air thick and heavy.

“We’ve talked about this…”  Rick started, his voice starting to sound more like his old CO.

“Talked about what, Dad?  That I was in his room when the attacks happened?  That I was in his bed when the bombs went off and that’s why I was injured?  Because I was fucking my boyfriend when everything went down?”  Shepard’s voice grew more frantic with every question but he was unable to stop, the years of guilt and anger joining together into a vicious barb.

“John, stop this at once!”  His father roared, his face turning red; but from anger or embarrassment Shepard could not tell.  “We have discussed this before and you were not at fault for what happened!  You did not kill that soldier!”

“I know I didn’t!”  Shepard shouted back.  He could feel Nexus flinch in his arms but his anger could not be pulled back now.  “He died, in my arms, because of an attack by insurgents!  I just want you to acknowledge that I loved him, Dad!  That I am gay!”

“You are not gay!  You are simply trying to hurt your mother and I, and I will not stand for it any longer!  You are moving home immediately!”  His father rose to his full height and Shepard realized that he stood a few inches shorter than him.

“No.  I’m not.  My life is here…”

“Shepard?”  Kaiden’s soothing voice had Nexus perking up and wriggling like mad until he sprang free and Shepard could feel his heart slow and the racing thoughts slow upon hearing him.  “We heard the shouting from outside, everything okay?”

“Young man, this is a private matter!”

“Shut up, Dad.”  Shepard interrupted.  He turned and smiled at Kaiden, “My parents and I were just discussing my future here.”

Garrus stuck his head over Kaiden and Shepard realized that Ashley and Liam had tagged along as well.  “I hope you’re not leaving anytime soon, you’re still under the leasing contract.”

“You’re absolutely right, I am in a legally binding contract!”  Shepard emphasized the “legally binding” part for his rule-stickler father.

“Plus the competition is in a few weeks!”  Ashley said from the back of the group, “He’s already entered with Kaiden here, he can’t back out now.”

“‘Chepard’s gonna win me a bike!”  Liam piped up, his eyes bright.  He stepped forward and wrapped his hands around one of Kaiden’s, “And he’s Uncle Kaiden’s friend.  You can’t stop that!”

Rick glared at Shepard intensely but Shepard refused to back down and met him with an equally intense stare.  “I see that you’ve a life here, Son.”  Rick shifted into parade rest and jutted his chin out.  “I suppose I will see myself out then, come Mary; we’re leaving.”  Rick marched past the group who moved around him silently.

“Go on, Mom.  We all know you’re his loyal wife.  Go be with him.”  Shepard turned and walked off to his room, leaving the group in stunned silence.

Mary fluttered her hand above her heart and moved in a small circle while making sounds of distress.  Kaiden waited for her to finish one of her laps before lightly tapping her arm,

“Ma’am, it seems that if you don’t want to abandon him now, then you should go be with him.”

“But,” Mary looked to his door before ducking her eyes, “he doesn’t want me there.  He never wants me there,” she said sadly.

Ashley nudged Kaiden aside gently, “Mrs. Shepard?  I think right now this should be more about what he needs.  And right now, he needs the ones who love him.”

Mary sifted loudly before squaring her shoulders and wiping her eyes. “You’re right.”  She squared her shoulders, “wish me luck,” she asked as she marched back and let herself into Shepard’s room.

Kaiden gathered up Nexus and grabbed Liam to head home as Ashley followed close behind.  “That was, unexpected, Ash.”

“What?  I have a soft center too Alenko,” she said.  Kaiden laughed as he let Nexus down to pick up Liam.

“True, I just never thought I would survive seeing it.  Figured it was one of those, ‘then I’d have to kill you’ things!”  Kaiden laughed at Ashley’s scowl as he danced around her half-hearted swipes and the excited Nexus zipping around their legs.

“Shove it, Alenko,” she said with laugh, “I just said was she needed to hear.  Shepard needs people who love him and he loves right now having his back.  I just provide the nudge needed.”

“Is that…” Kaiden started.  Ashley nudged him with her shoulder and jerked her head back at the receding house.

“Nudge, nudge Alenko.  Go, I got Liam and Nexus.”  She lifted Liam off Kaiden’s shoulders and held him at her hip.  “That’s an order, go!”

“Thank you, Ashely,” Kaiden kissed her forehead before running back, Liam shouts of good luck spurring him on faster.  He tore through the front door, ignoring Rick’s glares from his car, and stopped just outside Shepard’s door when he heard Shepard…crying.

Kaiden slowly opened the door and saw Shepard curled on his bed sobbing as his mother watched in horror from the foot of the bed, her thin hands spread in fear over her mouth.

“What’s going on?”  Kaiden closed the door behind himself and sank to his knees beside Shepard’s bed.

“I don’t know!”  His mother frantically moved beside Kaiden.  “He just started calling out for Roger and now he’s just lying there!”  Kaiden gently laid his hand on Shepard’s shoulder and watched the man shiver and shy away from the touch, his mouth forming unheard words that tumbled out faster than he could decipher.

“Call Dr. Chakwas, tell her what’s going on!”  Kaiden passed her his phone before returning his attention to Shepard.  “Shepard, can you hear me?  Talk to me please.”

“Who’s Dr. Chakwas?”  Mary asked, careful to avoid Kaiden’s incredulous gape as he snatched the phone back.

“Go get me a rag with water then.  I’ll handle this.”  Kaiden waited for the door to close before he turned back to Shepard.  “Shepard, can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Cold, it, it’s cold.  So cold.”  Shepard shivered beneath his sheet and Kaiden rubbed his hand over his arm to try and warm him.  Shepard writhed beneath his touch but soon stilled and curled tighter around himself.  “Roger, Roger, Roger!”  Shepard shrieked, his voice filled with pain that had Kaiden tearing up.

“Shepard, it’s Kaiden–” Kaiden ran his thumb over the familiar hills and valleys of the back of Shepard’s hand– “can you understand me?”

Mary came back in and watched quietly as Kaiden quietly talked to her son.  She felt her heart break for her poor son; forced to rely on this stranger because he felt he could not come to her.

She tapped Kaiden’s shoulder and passed him the rag before excusing herself to sit in the hallway and cried quietly for him.  For his pain that she could do nothing to assuage because she had shut him out.  Mary squared her shoulders and steeled herself for the next conversation.  Her baby…

“No, Mary,” she reminded herself, her son, her adult son who was in the care of someone other than her.

She was his mother, first and foremost.  She chose to marry Rick, but her son had only one person to rely on as mother and she had nearly ruined it.  It was a failure on her part to forget that and let Rick run her relationship with Shepard; but now it was no longer an option.  If Rick could not accept it, then she could have the divorce papers by next week.  She marched out to inform Rick of her intention to stay for Shepard, and invite him to see himself home with or without her.

Back in the room, however, Kaiden was busily working on trying to get Dr. Chakwas on the phone while talking to Shepard as calmly as possible.  He had to leave a message for the doctor when she did not answer and Kaiden hoped she could understand the message interspersed with Shepard crying out and Kaiden quietly comforting him.

“Roger, please, Roger!”  Shepard reached out and Kaiden grabbed the hand tightly, pulling it against his chest hoping that the feeling of a heartbeat would help.  Shepard murmured softly and relaxed into the bed, his hand curling around Kaiden’s hand reflexively.

“Shepard, it’s okay.  You’re in your bed, can you feel me holding your hand?  Can you tell me how you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to.”  Shepard started to quake underneath his sheet so Kaiden started to rub his arm again.

“I know Shepard.  You didn’t mean to do it, I know that,” Kaiden assured Shepard, “no one blames you.”  The continued for over an hour, with Shepard coming close to lucidness before dropping back to the attack on the ship or moaning for his dead love.  Kaiden could feel the exhaustion creeping up on both of them but he held fast, determined to be there for Shepard until he was better.

“Kaiden?”  Shepard slowly looked up at Kaiden with a look of confusion, “Kaiden, is that actually you?”  He asked fearfully.

“Shepard!”  Kaiden cried as he cupped his chin.  “Shepard, can you talk to me?”

Shepard nodded and managed to creak out, “but right now, can you just hold me?”

Kaiden chuckled as he climbed over Shepard to wrap an arm around him and pull him close.  “I’ll hold you as long as you need.  As long as you want me to.”

Shepard made a low noise in his chest that brought a smile to Kaiden’s face before stretching out and settling into Kaiden’s arms.  “That might just be a long time, and it might be a lot of nights like this.”

“Well, then we better get a bigger bed.  This tiny thing isn’t going to cut it.”  Kaiden joked as he tried to fit in behind Shepard.

Shepard barked out a laugh before biting his lip but the laughter won out and he started laughing harder and harder, his eyes tearing up as the laughter kept coming until he was hiccuping against Kaiden.

"Well if that’s how you’re going to be, maybe we shouldn’t spend more time together,” Shepard said once he got his breath back, “this bed and I have been through a lot together.”

“Far be it from me to come between me and your bed,” Kaiden said, his voice slurring with sleep.

Shepard reached over and smacked Kaiden’s arm playfully, “Don’t fall asleep on me now!  I’m not ready!”

Kaiden snored against Shepard’s back loudly and wheezed when Shepard elbowed him in the stomach, “Just let me nap in peace!”

Shepard groaned dramatically before it turned into a yawn.  “Fine, a nap would be a good idea,” he admitted.

“Good night, Shepard.”

“Good night, Kaiden.  Thank you for everything.”

Shepard almost missed the reply, but he managed to hear the sleepy, “anytime” right as they both drifted off, anchored in each other’s presence.


	11. Epilogue: A Dream

_Joker asked what Shepard and Kaiden had done in the garden, and though Shepard never told, nor would he ever, in his dreams he was free to relive the memories, and embellish them as his desires wanted…_

“Are you flirting with me?”  Shepard asked, his eyes wide.

Kaiden’s face dropped, “If you have to ask, then obviously I’m out of practice.”  He helped Shepard to his feet and handed him his cane.  “But, like I said, I have a plan.”

Shepard followed after the man into a never-ending maze of flowers and shrubs that grew ever wilder the deeper they went.  The breeze filled with sweet perfumes from the colorful calamity of plants around them and with an overpowering drone of the bees that tended the gardens tirelessly.  Above them, birds sang fantastically sweet songs in a never-ending loop that elicited all manners of emotions from Shepard, privileged as he was to the private concerts the growing wild lands around him afforded him.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Shepard knew that the plants around him could never grow in the middle of a suburban garden plot; but he still followed behind Kaiden even as the ground grew rough and harder for him to follow.

“Here, let me help,” Kaiden said as he dropped back to let Shepard lean on him over a particularly rocky patch.

“My hero,” Shepard mocked gently as he wrapped his arm around Kaiden’s waist, “always coming to my rescue aren’t you?”

Kaiden’s laughter brought heat to Shepard’s face, “Yeah, that’s me.  Mr. Hero-Man.”  He stopped beneath a large willow that loomed taller than a building and shaded the large collection of plants that circled around them in a dizzying array of colors.  “Here’s what I wanted to show you.  I really think that adding in some of these delphinium could add a lot of vertical color to your garden that would play nicely with the hill your house is on.”

“You do, huh?”  Shepard asked as he straightened from leaning against Kaiden.  His leg protested though and he hissed in pain.

“Shepard?  You okay?”  Kaiden asked in a flash, his face filled concern.  Shepard started to wave him off but suddenly found himself being lifted slightly, effectively stunning him into silence.  

“I’m going to help you sit down, okay?  We can take a break for a few minutes then hike back once your leg is better.”

Shepard started to complain but quickly stopped when he realized that he was sitting on Kaiden’s lap with his arms wrapped around him.  Instead of feeling trapped - or annoyed as he thought he would be - he felt protected and...loved?

“How’s that?”  Kaiden purred against his ear

“I was fine,” he stretched his legs out and sighed contentedly, “but I’m not complaining.”

“Where does it hurt, if you don’t mind me asking?”  Shepard guided Kaiden’s hand to his inner thigh where the scar hid beneath his jeans and was surprised when Kaiden started to lightly knead the spot.  The motion brought a euphoric sigh forth from Shepard that had Kaiden continuing the massage with a strong hand and gentle fingers.  “That feel good?”

Shepard nodded and leaned back into Kaiden when suddenly he was lying on his back with the cool grass against him, looking up he saw Kaiden kneeling between his legs while still continuing the massage.  “What’cha doin there, Kaiden?”  Shepard asked with a lazy smile.

Kaiden smirked, “I don’t know.  What do you think I’m doing?”  Shepard leaned up and grabbed the front of Kaiden’s shirt and pulled him down on top of him.  Kaiden let out a surprised yelp that was quickly smothered by Shepard kissing him.

Shepard twisted underneath Kaiden and pinned the other man underneath him with an arm braced across the man’s chest that let him explore Kaiden’s mouth and lips freely.  Unhappy with the situation, Kaiden wrapped his strong arms around and grabbed his back as best as possible while bracing him with his knee between Shepard’s legs to help pivot them into a better position.

Shepard ran through Kaiden’s long hair when Kaiden suddenly had his arms in Shepard’s shirt and his hands - oh God his hands, Shepard thought - explored all of Shepard’s curves and angles with his thick fingers that managed to be as gentle as they were strong, sending shivers through Shepard’s body.

“Feels good?”  Kaiden asked huskily against Shepard’s neck.

“God yes.  Feels, ah!”  Shepard yelped as Kaiden bit down too hard.

“Oh sorry, too much?”  Kaiden asked sheepishly from above Shepard.  Shepard shook his head and lunged his head forward, his neediness clacking their teeth slightly as they kissed deeply and desperately, passion and longing mixing into a powerful and intoxicating mixture that left both men breathless and desperate.

They parted with both their chests heaving and eyes alight with desire.  “Wow.  Gotta admit, didn’t expect you to have moves quite like that!”

Shepard gave him a dirty look before pushing him off roughly, “Funny, old man joke?”

Kaiden laughed and rolled onto his back, “I’m pretty sure you’re not that much older than me, but if you like robbing the cradle…”

“Shut up and help me up, youngin.”  Kaiden got up and then helped hoist Shepard to his feet, handing him his cane once he was fully upright.

Shepard took a few steps before Kaiden wrapped a finger through his belt loop and held him still.  “Hey Gramps, you got some grass on your ass, want some help with that?”

“Checking out my ass, you perv?”  Shepard replied, turning to face Kaiden with desire in his eyes.

“Maybe,” Kaiden conceded as they closed the distance and once more kissed deeply and longingly.

Shepard backed them into the tree that held court in the clearing, its large, leafy bough the reason for the darkness of the clearing that had Shepard suddenly bold enough to drop to his knees and tug on the zipper constraining Kaiden’s cock.

“Whoa there, you know what you’re doing there?”  Kaiden asked, but his voice was filled with lust and dripped with desire, Shepard nodded against the throbbing bulge.

“I’m doing what feels right, Kaiden.  I’m tired of hiding from my feelings all the time, help me this one time, please?”  Shepard asked softly, his forehead on the button of Kaiden’s jeans.

Kaiden’s hands reached down and shakily undid the button and then the zipper, exposing his bare cock to the world.  Shepard started to inch his mouth towards the heat of it, his tongue lolling out on its own accord as though it remembered how to do what its master had forgotten.

And then the dick licked him.

Shepard woke up to Nexus on his bed.  He panicked and shoved the dog off roughly, but the spry pup landed on his feet and yipped excitedly thinking Shepard wanted to play.

“Garrus!”  Shepard hollered at the top of his lungs, “The demon dog thing is back, Garrus!”

Storming with the dog in hand, Shepard would never admit it; but he was madder that the dog interrupted the dream than the breaking and entering.  But at least he got to see Kaiden with bed head.


End file.
